Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to plant containers, and more specifically to plant containers which include a passive self-watering function and that can be mounted at an elevated location on a pole or wall.
Description of Related Art
Municipalities, businesses and institutions often utilize potted plantings in common/public areas for decorative effect. These potted plantings are typically comprised of soil and flowers placed in containers that may be set on the ground, attached to a wall or hung basket-like. A municipality, business or institution will typically invest large sums of money in such beautification efforts, and therefore there is a keen desire to see the plants looking healthy and attractive. To maintain proper plant health, the correct amount of water is consistently needed over the growing season. Too little water can result in plant death, whereas too much water can over-saturate the soil and also result in plant death. When a large number of potted plantings are deployed, the regular need for watering can impose a substantial labor burden on gardener/caretaker services.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,065,834 issued Nov. 29, 2011 to Eckert, Applicant of this present invention, discloses a plant container configured with a large internal water reservoir that is isolated from the soil to prevent saturation of the soil. According to this patented invention, a caretaker is able to add large amounts of water that are sufficient to sustain the plants over a relatively long period of time without over-saturating the soil. The entire disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 8,065,834 is hereby incorporated by reference and relied upon.
In some instances, it is desirable to associate a potted planting with a vertical shaft, such as a light pole. In the past, there were typically two ways this could be accomplished: 1) to affix an angle bracket to the pole that could be used to suspend the plant container using chains or ropes; and 2) set the plant container on the ground adjacent the pole base. In the case of the bracket with hanging plant container, it is common to hang a pair of diametrically-opposed plant containers (somewhat akin to a traditional balance scale) in order to provide balance to the pole as well as a more symmetrical appearance. This requirement to provide two plant containers for each pole can impose decorative constraints, added costs and added maintenance burdens to the caretaker.
Moreover, the existing method of suspending a plant container using a chains or wires or ropes can be occasionally unstable when the plant container is severely swayed due to a heavy wind, for example. This can be a particular concern in public pedestrian areas where spilled soil and plants could create a potential for injury, or even worst if the plant container falls into the path of motor vehicles.
Examples of prior art plant containers include U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,346 to Jose, issued Feb. 12, 1991. This patent discloses a plant container assembly for holding a soil insert with a single centered wicking unit to supply water to the potting soil and plants. U.S. Pat. No. 6,986,224 to Aharon, issued Jan. 17, 2006, discloses a plant wetting method and apparatus comprising an outer shell, a soil insert, and a single centered wicking unit. U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,819 to Steven, issued Apr. 16, 2002, teaches a plant watering system comprising an outer shell, a soil insert, and monolithic wicking units. U.S. Pat. No. 6,584,730 to Mai, issued Jul. 1, 2003, teaches a flowerpot having an outer shell and a soil insert with non-detachable wicking units. And U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,268 to Linder, issued Jul. 24, 1973, discloses a pair of half-containers for plants to attached to a pole or post.
These prior art examples provide evidence of the general level of interest that exists for solutions in the potted plant field, yet here remains a need for an improved plant container for pole, and in particular light pole, applications that can be used without imposing aesthetic asymmetry or weight imbalance to a supporting pole, is more securely stable than prior art hanging systems, and that is capable of holding a large amount of water and delivering that water to the plant at an optimized rate without over-saturating the soil. Such an improved plant container should also be versatile enough to permit non-pole elevated mounting applications with little-to-no modifications.